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The Secretary for Education (SED), Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, today (June 25) concluded his two-day duty visit to Fujian Province and said he will continue to look for further opportunities for education co-operation between Hong Kong and Fujian.
This morning, Mr Ng met with the Vice Mayor of Xiamen, Ms Guo Guirong, and the Director of the Xiamen Municipal Education Bureau, Mr Lai Han, to exchange views on education issues of mutual concern.
He visited Xiamen University and Huaqiao University to meet with senior staff and Hong Kong students studying there. He also officiated at the inauguration ceremony of the Hong Kong Students' Association of Fujian. The Association will, through various activities and exchanges, help fellow Hong Kong students adapt to study life on the Mainland and provide them with information on living and working there.
Mr Ng said that there is a strong link between Hong Kong and Fujian as the province is the ancestral home of about one-sixth of Hong Kong residents. Fujian is also the starting point of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative, and thus Hong Kong students will have new opportunities while looking for further studies or employment in the province.
"In recent years, the Education Bureau (EDB) has introduced the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions as well as the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme to support Hong Kong students who would like to further their studies in Mainland universities," said Mr Ng.
"It is estimated that there are over 2,000 Hong Kong students currently studying in various universities in Fujian. During my exchanges with some of the universities, I was given to understand that they would like to strengthen their co-operation with Hong Kong institutions. The universities also welcome Hong Kong students to further their studies on the Mainland, with one of them making efforts to offer professional programmes which can meet the economic and social development needs of Hong Kong."
He said that the EDB would strengthen communications with its counterparts in Fujian with a view to promoting education and research collaborations between the two places, thus providing more development opportunities for students and academics.
During his stay in Xiamen, Mr Ng also took the opportunity to visit Xiamen Haicang Yankui Primary School and attend a sister school experience sharing session chaired by the school's headmaster and his counterpart from Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School (Primary Division).
Mr Ng said that so far 13 pairs of sister schools have been set up between Hong Kong and Fujian. He believed that with the additional resources and professional support provided by the EDB this year, sister school activities between the two places would be further developed to help improve the efficacy of learning and teaching.
Officers accompanying Mr Ng on his visit to Fujian include the Deputy Secretary for Education, Mr Brian Lo, and the Administrative Assistant to the SED, Mr Rick Chan. They will return to Hong Kong tonight.
Ends/Thursday, June 25, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:30
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